Sex & the CT: 'Kama Sutra' reminds all of traditional sex

What exactly is in the “Kama Sutra”?~ Tantricly CuriousDear Tantricly Curious,The “Kama Sutra,” sometimes called the “Karma Sutra,” describes countless sexual positions. But what many Westerners don’t realize is that it isn’t just a list of positions – it’s actually far more. “The Kama Sutra,” which translates into “aphorisms of love,” is basically a guide to full-body pleasure and eroticism. You may find this hard to believe, but it was written in between 320-540 A.D. In his book, the scholar Vatsyayana describes the practices and rituals of erotic pleasure in ancient India.In addition to describing numerous ways of partaking in sexual intercourse, the author explains various kinds of embraces, ways to kiss and oral sex – to name a few of the subject matters. One of my favorite quotes from the book describes a move that some of the most prudish couples could even be found doing. “When two lovers are walking together slowly, either in the dark, or in a public or a lonely place, and rub their bodies against each other, this is referred to as a rubbing embrace.” This next quote vividly describes a traditional position. “When a man and woman lie down in an inverted order with the head of the one toward the feet of the other and carry on congress, it is called ‘congress of a cow.'” [Commonly known as “69.”]The description of the powerful spiritual effect that sex can have on a man and woman is completely inspiring. “At the moment when the peak of bliss is attained, the internal and external world vanish. The man and woman cease to be separate entities and lose themselves in the beatitudes of being.”I would recommend that anyone interested in getting some new ideas for all realms of their sexual life check out a copy of the Kama Sutra. There are many versions of this book, most of which have been modernized to fit 20th century lovers. But I find the versions that are translated directly from Vatsyayana’s original Sanskrit text to be the most fascinating. Several also contain Indian illustrations, which can be amusing for the less mature.The two best versions that I’ve come across are Lance Dane’s “The Complete Illustrated Kama Sutra” and Alain Danilou’s “The Complete Kama Sutra: The First Unabridged Modern Translation of the Classic Indian Text.”These can undoubtedly provide you with hours of entertainment and maybe even some tantric sexual education! But as always, be safe and especially cautious when trying some of what the “Kama Sutra” suggests. You might pull a muscle or two!Got a question about relationships, love or sex? E-mail Adrienne Monley for real answers to your real questions at ctfeats@hotmail.com.